Containers



SePt 12, 1967 s. s. cooLlDGE, JR 3,341,056

CONTAINERS Y Filed Aug. 25, 1955 id Q /V VE N TOR SULLA CE B, COOL/06E; JR.

United States Patent O 3,341,056 CONTAINERS Sollace B. Coolidge, Jr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Sherwin-Williams Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 482,565 17 Claims. (Cl. 220-S3) This invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to containers which are particularly well adapted for the packaging of materials for storage, shipment and sale.

It is a primary object of the present invention to afford a novel container.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel closure construction for containers.

Another object is to afford a novel container for packaging material such as food stuffs, paints, and the like, for shipment, storage and sale.

Yet another object of the present invention is to afford a novel container of the aforementioned type which may be readily opened.

An object ancillary tothe foregoing is to afford a novel container of the aforementioned type which may be so `opened without the use of tools, and in a novel and expeditious manner.

A further .object of the present inventon is to afford a novel container embodying a novel cover construction which enables the cover thereof to tbe readily manually torn open.

Another object is to afford a novel container embodying a novel cover construction of the aforementioned type which affords an effective sealed closure for the container.

' Yet another object is to afford a novel cover of the aforementioned type which is Well adapted for use as the cover on cans, jars, and the like.

Another object is to afford a novel container of the aforementioned type which is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readily and economically `produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may tbe made as desired by those skilled in the art without depart. ing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a container embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a container shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away to show underlying parts;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the upper portion of the body portion of the container shown in FIG. l, with parts broken away to show underlying parts;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the cover member embodied in the container shown in FIG. 1 in partially assembled condition;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a modified form `of a cover member.

A container 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings to illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The container 1 embodies, in general, a body portion 2 and a cover member `or closure member 3 mounted on the upper end of the body portion 2.

The body portion 2 embodies a tubular side wall 4 with a bottom wall 5 permanently secured to the lower end thereof by suitable means such as a rolled double seam 6 in a manner well known in the art, FIG, l. The body portion 2 has an .open upper end 7, FIG. 4, with the upper end of the side wall 4 formed to afford a substantially radially outwardly projecting curl 8. The curl 8 may be of any suitable type, but preferably is of the open, box-curl type disclosed in the co-pending application for United States Letters Patent of John D. Czarnecki, Serial No. 461,903, filed June 7, 1965.

An annular bead 9 is formed in the body portion 2, in relatively closely adjacent, downwardly spaced relation to the curl 8, in position to assist the curl 8 in reinforcing the upper end of the body portion 2. The bead 9 shown in the `drawings is convex-inwardly, but as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this is merely by way of illustration and not by limitation, and the bead 9 may be formed convex-outwardly without departing from the purview of the present invention.

The curl 8 embodied in the body portion 2 of the container 1 shown in the drawings embodies two horizontally spaced, substantially parallel side wall portions 10 and 11 connected at their upper edges by a convex-upwardly arcuate-shaped top wall 12, and with a bottom wall 13 extending between the lower edge portions of the side walls 10 and 11, FIG. 4. The bottom wall 13 is bent back,

upon itself to afford, with the lower edge portion of the outer side wall portion 11, another open curl 14. The curl 14 is a 360 curl, the bottom wall 13 `being bent back upon itself to such an extent that the free edge portion 15 thereof is disposed in abutting engagement with the inner face of the side wall 11 so ythat the curl 14 defines a complete circle. Preferably the curl 12 is disposed in abutting engagement with the outer face of the side wall 10, as shown in FIG. 4. In constructing the curl 8, the are of the curl 12 should exceed 180, and preferably is 360 or a greater multiple of 180.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the curl 8 has substantial horizontal thickness, but the vertical width thereof is several times greater than the horizontal thickness thereof, with the curl 14 spaced from the top wall 12 a major fraction of the vertical width of the curl 8. Preferably, the thickness of the curl 7 is such that the space between the inner wall 10 and the outer wall 9 is several times the thickness of the metal from which the si-de wall 4 is constructed. For example, with the side wall 4 constructed of metal having a thickness of one-hundredth of an inch, the space between the side wall portion 10 and the outer side wall portion 11 is preferably of the order of one-tenth to twelve-hundredths of an inch. With this construction, a relatively strong container body portion, having an open upper end, may be made of materials commercially use-d in the construction of cans and the like, such as, for eX- ample, tin plate or aluminum.

The cover 3 embodies a central body portion i16 having a substantially disc-shaped center portion 17 surrounded \by an upwardly opening annular recess 18, dened by an outer side wall i19 and an inner side wall 20, FIGS. 5 and 6. The upper edge portion of the outer side wall 19 curves outwardly and connects to the upper edge of an yannular flange 21, which projects downwardly in radially outwardly spaced relation to the side wall 19. The flan-ge 21 is preferably of a greater vertical width than the depth of the recess 18.

The flange 21 h-as an elongated slot 22 extending therearound between the upper portion 23 and the lower portion 24 thereof, lFIGS. 5 and 6. IThe slot 22 is preferably uniplanar and the respective ends 25 and 26 thereof terminate in spaced relation to each other, FIG. 5. In a cove-r constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the slot 22 extends around the flange not less than half way, and, preferably, eighty to ninety-five percent of the way. In the preferred form of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the portion 30 of the flange 21 extending between the ends 25 and 26 of the slot 22, lFIG. 5, is preferably solid and unbroken for a purpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The cover 3 also includes an elongated strip of tape 27, FIGS. '1, 2, and 3, extending around the flange 21, and adhesively secured thereto in covering relation to the slot 22. The tape 27 is preferably `of greater length than the outer periphery of the flange 21, so that when the tape 27 is disposed in operative position on the flange 2d, one end 28 thereof extends across the other end 29 thereof, FIG. 3. The tape 27 is preferably liquid-tight and airtight, and is so disposed on the outer face of the flange 21 that it is effective to seal the slot 22 from the outside. Also, the tape 27, when it is mounted in operative position on the flange 21 is effective to hold the upper portion 23 and the lower .portion 24 of the flange 21, disposed on opposite sides of the slot 22 in proper operative position relative to each other. The tape 27 may be any suitable type of tape such as, for example, tape of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 3,186,581, issued to A. I. Schneider, W. E. Taylor and G. E. Eckman on June 1, 1965, or a suitable pressure-sensitive tape of the type readily available on the market.

lIn the preferred form of the cover 3 shown in the drawings, a sealing compound 31 is disposed in the upper portion of the downwardly opening recess 32 defined by the flange 21 `and the side wall 19 of the cover 3. Preferably, the sealing compound 3-1 is a somewhat tacky, rubber-like material and may be any one of several suitable sealing materials readily available on the market such as, for example, a plastisol gasket sealing compound.

In the completely assembled container 1 shown in the drawings, the cover 3 is mounted on the upper end of the body portion 2 with the curl 8 disposed in the recess 32 in the cover 3, FIG. 2. The bottom edge 33 of the lower edge portion 24 of the flange 21 is preferably bent inwardly around the bottom wall 13 of the curl 8 in tight fitting engagement therewith, in such position as to effectively hold the assembled cover 3 on the upper end 7 of the body portion 2. In such position of the cover 3, the sealing compound 31 is -disposed between the upper end 7 og the body portion 2 and the junction of the flange 21 and side wall 19 of the cover 3 to thereby afford an effective seal between the body portion 2 and the cover 3.

-In the preferred form of the present invention, the lower edge portion 24 of the flange 21 is also adhesively secured to the curl `8 below the slot 22 by a suitable adhesive 34 disposed between the lower edge portion 24 of the flange 21 and the immediately adjacent outer face of the outer wall 11 of the curl 8. The adhesive 34 may be of any suitable type, but is preferably of a suitable heat-reactive type such as, `for example, a suitable thermoplastic adhesive such as, for example, a suitable ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, or a suitable thermo-setting adhesive such as, lfor example, suitable epoxy resins, readily available on the market.

The central body portion 16 and the flange 21 of the cover 3 may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, tin plate, aluminum and the like.

In the use of the container 1, the bod-y portion 2 may be filled with a suitable material such as, for example, food stuff, paint, or the like, and the assembled cover 3 may then be mounted on the open end 7 of the body portion 2 in covering relation thereto, with the sealing compound 31 engaged with the top wall 12 of the curl 8. The adhesive 34 may be disposed on the inner face of the lower portion 24 of the flan-ge 21, prior to such mounting of the cover 3 on the can body 2, or the adhesive 34 may be disposed on the lower edge portion of the outer face of the outer side wall 11 of the curl 8, as shown in FIG. 4.

After the cover 3 has been mounted in closing relation to the open upper end 7 of the body portion 2, the bottom 33 of the lower edge portion 24 of the flange 21 may be bent inwardly around the bottom wall 13 of the curl 8, as previously mentioned, and, if the adhesive 34 is of a heat-reactive type, heat may be applied to the lower edge portion 24 of the flange 21. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, if the adhesive 34 is of the thermo-setting type, the application of heat to the flange 21 is effective to cause the adhesive 34 to set and thereby adhesively secure the lower edge portion 24 of the yflange 21 to the curl 8 on the body portion 2; and if the adhesive 34 is of a thermo-plastic type, the application of the heat to the flange 21 is effective to soften or plasticize the adhesive, so that it may spread between the lower portion 24 of the flange 21 and the adjacent portion of the curl 8, the subsequent cooling of the adhesive 34, when heat is no longer applied thereto, causing it to set and thereby secure the lower portion 24 of the flange 21 to the body portion 2. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, although I prefer that the adhesive 34 be of a heat-reactive type, the present invention is not limited thereto, and that other suitable adhesives may be used without departing from the purview of the present invention.

With the container l1 assembled in the aforementioned manner, the cover `3 affords a closure for the upper end 7 of the body portion 2, which is effective to sealingl-y close the latter. In such assembled condition, the container 1 affords an effective container for commercially packaging materials, such as, for example, food stuffs, Ipaints, and the like, for storage, shipment and sale.

When it is desired to open the container 1, this may be readily accomplished by the operator grasping the outer end 28 of the tape 27 in his fingers and stripping the tape 27 from the cover 3. Thereafter, the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21 may be manually bent upwardly .around the portion 30 of the flange 21 away from the body portion 2 of the container 1, to thereby open the top of the container 1. During such upward movement of the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21, the portion 30 of the flange 21 acts as a hinge therefor, and is effective to prevent the complete removal of the central body portion 1:6 and the upper .portion 23 of the flange 21 from lthe body portion 2 of the container 1. Thereafter, if it is .again desired to close lthe cover 3, the central body portion 16 thereof and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21 may again be swung downwardly around the portion 30 of the flange 21, and manually pressed into sealing engagement with the top wall 12 of the curl 8. If desired, the tape 27, or a new strip of tape, may again be .placed around the flange 21 in covering relation to the slot 22.

It will be seen that with the aforementioned construction, the container 1 affords a container which may be quickly and easily opened by persons of little or no skill, and without the use of tools.

Also, it will be seen that with this construction, the container 1 affords a container which, when it has been so opened, may be quickly and easily closed and, if desired, effectively sealed against accidental opening.

In FIG. 7 of the drawings, a modified form of the cover of the present invention is illustrated. In FIG. 7, parts which are the same as corresponding parts of the cover 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1-6, and parts which are similar to, but which have been substituted for, parts of the cover 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals with the sux a added thereto.

The only change in the cover 3a over the cover 3 shown in FIGS. 1-6 is in the portion 30a of the flange 21a. In the cover 3a, the portion 30a between ends 2S and 26 of the slot 22 is not unbroken, but is weakened by being partially cut through along a score line 35 so that when the tape 27 has been removed from the cover 3a and the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21a have been bent upwardly around the portion 30a of the flange 21a, the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21a may be readily manually torn from the lower portion 24 of the flange 21a along the score line 35 to thereby completely separate the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21a from the container on which it has been disposed.

With the cover 3a constructed as shown in FIG. 7, after the upper portion thereof has been removed from the container, if it is again desired to close the container, the central body portion 16 and the upper portion 23 of the flange 21a may again be manually disposed in closing relation to the open upper end of the container, the sealing compound 31 again resting on the upper edge of such container. Also, if desired, the tape 27 may be replaced on the outer face of the flange 21a, or a new tape may be disposed thereon in covering and sealing relation to the slot 22.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel container for either solid or liquid materials, which container may be effectively sealingly closed, and, also, may be quickly and easily manually opened.

In addition, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel container of the aforementioned type which is practical and efficient in construction and operation, and which may -be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container -comprising (a) a body portion having (1) A tubular side wall, and (2) anopen end,

(b) said side wall having a radially outwardly projecting curl at said open end,

(c) a cover mounted on said open end,

(d) said cover having a flange (l) disposed outwardly of said curl and (2) extending downwardly therealong,

(e) said flange having (l) an upper edge portion,

(2) a lower edge portion, and

(3) a slot extending more than half way around said cover between said upper and lower edge portions,

(f) said lower edge portion being secured to said curl for holding said cover on said open end, and

(g) a tape (1) removably mounted on the outer surface of said ange, and

(2.) extending around said cover in sealing relation to said slot.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said lower edge portion of said flange is adhesively secured to said curl.

3. A container as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said lower edge portion of said ange is adhesively secured to said curl by a heat reactive adhesive.

4. A container as 'defined in claim 3, and in which (a) said adhesive is a thermo-plastic material.

5. A container as defined in claim 3, and vin which (a) said adhesive is a thermo-setting material.

6. A container as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said lower edge portion of said flange operatively engages the lower side of said curl.

7. A container as defined in claim 6, and in which (a) said lower edge portion of said flange is also adhesively secured to said curl.

8. A container as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said cover includes a wall portion (l) disposed radially inwardly of said flange, and

(2) extendingdownwardly along said curl in engagement with said side wall on the side of said curl remote from `said flange.

9. A container comprising (a) a body portion having (l) a tubular side wall and (2) an open upper end, l

(b) said side wall having a horizontally outwardly projecting curl at said upper end,

(c) said curl (1) being of greater vertical width than horizontal thickness, and

(2) having another curl of more than 180 degrees at the lower edge thereof and spaced from the upper edge thereof,

(d) a cover mounted on said open end in closing relation thereto,

(e) said cover having (1) a central body portion extending across said upper end, and

(2) a ange extending downwardly horizontally outwardly of said curl,

(f) said flange having (l) an upper edge portion, (2) a lower edge portion, and (3) an elongated slot (a) extending more than half-way around said cover between said upper and lower edge portions and (b') having ends terminating in spaced relation to each other,

(g) said lower edge portion being secured to said curl for holding said cover on said body portion, and

(h) a tape adhesively secured to the outer face of said flange in covering relation to said slot,

(i) said tape being removable from said flange to thereby free said central body portion of said cover for upward opening movement relative to said lower edge portion of said flange along said slot.

10. A container as defined in claim 9, and in which (a) said flange is unbroken between said spaced ends outwardly of said slot to thereby afford a hinge for pivotally connecting said central -body portion to said lower edge portion of said flange during said upward opening movement of said central body portion.

11. A container as defined in claim 9, and in which (a) said fiange has a score line extending between said spaced ends outwardly of said slot for weakening said flange on a line along which said central body portion of said cover may be manually torn from said lower edge portion of said fiange when said tape is removed from said flange.

12. A container as defined in claim 9, and in which (a) said lower edge portion of said ange is adhesively secured to said curl.

13. A container as defined in claim 9, and in which (a) said lower edge portion extends under said curl in operative engagement with said lower edge thereof in positionV to hold said cover on saidopen upper end.

14. A cover for a container comprising (a) a central body portion,

(b)v a ange for securing said central body portion (c) said ange (1) extending around said central body portion,

(2) being disposed transversely to said central body portion, and

(3) having an elongated slot extending more than half-way around said central body portion,

(d) said slot having opposite ends terminating in spaced relation to each other, and

(e) an elongated tape adhesively secured to said flange in covering relation to said slot in position to seal said slot and secure together the portions of said fiange disposed on opposite sides of said slot,

(f) said ange having a free edge portion adapted to be secured to said container for holding said body portion on said container,

(g) said tape being removable from said flange for thereby freeing said flange portions on opposite sides of said slot for movement toward and away from each other.

15. A cover as defined in claim 14, and in which (a) said flange is unbroken between said ends outward- 8 ly of said slot to thereby afford a hinge connection between said central body portion and said free edge portion of said iange. 16. A cover as defined in claim 14, and in which (a) said flange is scored between said ends outwardly 0f said slot to thereby afford a tear-line along which said central body portion can be torn from said free edge portion of said flange when said tape is so removed, 17. A cover as defined in claim 14, and in which (a) said slot extends not less than eighty percent and not more than ninety-five percent of the distance around said flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,561 6/1891 Quentell 220-53 X 3,186,581 6/1965 Schneider et al. 220-53 3,231,078 1/1966 Balocca 220-53 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

25 G. 'I'. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING (A) A BODY PORTION HAVING (1) A TUBULAR SIDE WALL, AND (2) AN OPEN END, (B) SAID SIDE WALL HAVING A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY PROJECTING CURL AT SAID OPEN END, (C) A COVER MOUNTED ON SAID OPEN END, (D) SAID COVER HAVING A FLANGE (1) DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF SAID CURL AND (2) EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREALONG, (E) SAID FLANGE HAVING (1) DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF SAID CURL AND (2) A LOWER EDGE PORTION, AND (3) A SLOT EXTENDING MORE THAN HALF WAY AROUND SAID COVER BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER EDGE PORTIONS, (F) SAID LOWER EDGE PORTION BEING SECURED TO SAID CURL FOR HOLDING SAID COVER ON SAID OPEN END, AND (G) A TAPE (1) REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE, AND (2) EXTENDING AROUND SAID COVER IN SEALING RELATION TO SAID SLOT. 